That is, if 17, 500 miles can be considered a flyby. But by astronomical calculations, the asteroid, which will be crusing into satellite-range of Earth, is something of a near-miss.

Friday morning a meteorite tore through the skies over Siberia, injuring some 1,000 people, mostly from glass shards that exploded from the sonic boom when the big rock entered the atmosphere, according to The New York Times.

It is possible, according to a statement on the NASA website, that the meteorite that rained down on Russia may have been part of the entourage of space rocks accompanying the small asteroid expected to (hopefully) pass by Earth on Friday.